Volume 1, Chapter 23: Even If I Die, It Has Nothing to Do with You

Ji Shu recalled how, after arriving at the police station, the female officer had asked if she needed help contacting her family. At that moment, she had struggled briefly before, as if possessed, dialing Lu Jinchuan’s number.

However, the dial tone in the receiver felt like a sharp blade, ruthlessly piercing her heart.

During those dozen seconds, Ji Shu couldn't help but remember three years ago, when she had similarly called his number over and over again.

Just like three years ago, the call eventually disconnected automatically because no one answered.

Ji Shu bowed her head and let out a silent, bitter laugh—laughing at her own wretched loneliness, laughing at her own self-indulgent sentimentality, and laughing at this emotion...

When Qiao Jiayue called her parents to tell them that they had actually sent a stranger to deliver the money, she still felt a lingering fear.

The voice was unnaturally eerie. Although she was standing right in front of her bed, the words seemed to drift in from a dark, cold hell. It made Yang Yun’s hair stand on end, sending goosebumps across her skin, while her heart hammered incessantly against her ribs.

From the seaside camp to the summit of Lonely Peak, it was only a distance of about twenty li, yet it took us nearly three hours to traverse.

The man in the purple robe remained expressionless, sneering as he said, "The dead are the busiest; only the dead are closest to the Great Dao and can attain immortality!" Suddenly, he unfurled his sleeves, and a purple mist, as if surging from the east, manifested into a vast, encompassing power that met Zhang Tingyi head-on.

The moonlight was cold. Further ahead lay the jungle. Yuan Xi scanned his surroundings, hoping to catch a glimmer of light. Given the girl’s fear of the dark, she would likely not dare take a single step without illumination, yet after searching for a long time, he still could not find any source of light.

"Exactly. She still thinks I don't know she’s the one pulling the strings. Heh, she treats everyone else like fools," Qiao Qiuyue sneered, though she lacked the capability to retaliate for the time being.

On cloudless days, the rare ice peaks in the distance turned crystal clear under the brilliant sun, appearing mystical, desolate, and enchanting.

The players who had been standing in the wide corridor were now gone without a trace, not even a drop of blood left behind, as if everything related to them had been completely devoured by that invisible entity.

The commune members thought that since the Qiao siblings had such excellent grades, if they tutored their own children, perhaps their children could excel as well.

***

Clearly, Baal, who possessed the item capable of manipulating the Worldstone, had used its power to protect himself.

Ouyang Wuchen flashed forward, his sword moving like the wind. He unleashed a flurry of brilliant maneuvers, a hurricane of attacks that continued to press Autumn Huaici. Within mere moments, the sword blossoms in the sky vanished, and the fierce battle came to an end.

As for the other voids of the Underworld, they were not so lucky; they were utterly annihilated, beyond any hope of return.

Ye Huang felt as if tens of millions of ants were gnawing at his flesh, as if they were trying to carve out his very soul.

He had only mastered the basics of many martial arts and had learned various forms of Tai Chi, but he was far from achieving a state of complete mastery and integration.

"Jiang Hengchu, you have the audacity to conspire and rebel..." Li Jing’s face turned ashen as he glared at the rows of catapults being pushed out from behind the army formation, and he shouted in fury.

Sending off Brother Zhang settled one of Li Xiaoxiao’s concerns. When she turned back, Bai Qinghua was also bidding her farewell.

The elixir of immortality originated from that "Heavenly Star" and came with severe limitations. Once the "Heavenly Star" was destroyed, the elixir would lose its effect, and at that moment, Yun Siebao would be instantly reverted to his original state.

"Mom, why are you crying? Is it because of Dad?" Jiu asked curiously, not forgetting to reach out and touch Nan Yao’s face.

He had come here because An Jing had asked him to, but since Zhou Changyue had harmed him repeatedly and ended up in the hospital this time due to his own machinations, it was only what Zhou Changyue deserved, even if he were to die. He had no intention of saving him.

No one had expected that Zuo Mei and Li Kun had been involved with each other, that Zuo Mei’s son was actually Li Kun’s offspring, and that they had conspired to murder Zuo Mei’s husband.

"It doesn't matter if Tu Bo doesn't intervene; we can find another way. After all, the Qilin Imperial Tutor was once the Heavenly Emperor’s teacher; he won’t fall so easily," Zheng Yingying said softly, her tone laced with tact.

The atmosphere in the venue grew even more heated, with countless whistles echoing through the air. Everyone present was either a scoundrel or a thief; there wasn't a single decent person among them. How could they not stir up trouble at such a spectacle? Everyone was waiting to see the show that was about to unfold on stage.

"Mr. Tang, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Song Yiren looked at the two departing contestants, feeling somewhat hesitant.

***

In the cultivation world, Chen Fan’s understanding had not been deep enough before. In reality, their true strength lay not just in the ordinary disciples, but in the power of their peak masters.

This was the message Ling Li had sent regarding the Spirit-Returning Vine. According to her intelligence, after the vine appeared in Songkhla a few weeks ago, it had been transported to Carnival City, where it had been spotted several days prior.

"Useless! You’re good for nothing! Get out of my sight now!" Zhang Yongli, already incensed, heard Baldy Yang’s words and backhanded him across the face, knocking him to the ground. His violent temper had led him to blame today’s humiliation entirely on Baldy Yang.

"Can we of the Dragon Clan fuse with the bloodline of the Phoenix Clan? And then unleash the divine combat technique of the Dragon-Phoenix Union?" Long Haozang asked solemnly.

Lin Yi nodded, not rejecting Wang Weikang’s gesture of goodwill, but he was left speechless by the final remark. People of the underworld?

An old ape, who looked as though it could pass away at any moment, seemed to possess no aura at all at first glance, yet it made Chen Fan extremely vigilant.

A terrifying face glared at everything below with greedy eyes, accompanied by eerie, mournful howls.

The two were stunned, sitting there blankly, unable to take their eyes off the interior of the car.

A moment later, the blood-evil fire on Cheng Yang’s body burned for a while before slowly fading and extinguishing; the phantom of the Slaughter War Soul also dimmed and gradually vanished.

"Lin Yening, if you take another step forward, I really won't be polite," Fifth Master said, dragging me back many steps until I was pressed against the door of the cafe. I heard the sound of a bullet being chambered.

But the musicians were even more astonishing, skilled in all kinds of ancient instruments—such as the xun, fou, zhu, panpipes, konghou, zheng, and guqin—and the melodies they played could directly influence a person’s emotions, or even completely dominate their rational thoughts.